Diary of a Metal Mommy

Or, lack-of-brain that is. I was so proud of myself…I had remembered to stop in the bank as soon as I got to Byerlys to get a bunch of one dollar bills for our upcoming trip. I knew that if I waited until after my shop I would completely forget to do it. I go into the bank and realize that I don’t have the bill that I wanted to change. sigh. The Lame Brain Strikes Again! I swear I have turned 50 instead of 40.

But in my brain’s defense, there has been so much to organize and get ready for in my head for our trip next week! We’ll be gone for 5 or 6 days, so that’s a long time to plan for. Schools to call, pet-sitter to nail down for Digby, mail to stop, last minute travel things to buy….and that’s just the beginning. Plus just the thought of the whole plane ride is enough to turn my brain into a blob of goo. I don’t like to fly–forgive me, but I just don’t like the idea of being in a tube in which I can’t open the windows or decide to get out and stretch a bit if I like. But this girl’s gotta keep it together. I can’t be freaking out and then telling my kids that flying is fun and a great way to get from point A to point B. Damn being a good example! When did I sign up for this?!

But I’m sure once we get to the 5 star hotel we’re staying at–hence needing the one dollar bills, for tipping purposes!–and get involved in museum going and hanging out on commercial locations, that will all be forgotten. Then it will be time to get back on another plane to come home. But of course I’ll be looking forward to that–you know how no matter where you go and how good of a time you have, there is just nothing like your own bed. And let’s face it, sharing one bathroom with 3 other people is gonna get old.

Nice. I came into the weekend laughing with Steph over coffee, and left it laughing with her, Kim and Kim’s brother Pat with the latest Feminine Hijinx recording we did last night! Yes, Pat joined us down in the naughty pine–our 3rd guest in a row!–and there was indeed much hijinx a-happenin’. It was a bit on the long side, but it’s so hard to keep it short with guests! (unless of course we have a rezzie, like with Cousin Ann..!) Just too much fun to be had–and in this case, too much sister-dirt to dish. Ow!

For more somber news, however, Phat Thunder has been plutoed. (for those of you not in the know, the 2006 word-of-the-year ‘plutoed’ means to demote or devalue something.) I am not laughing about that. Phat Thunder has become Flat Thunder. Or maybe Phat Blunder. Well, there is nothing really wrong with it, but once again it’s just not the right car for us. It has lost it’s magic. I know this comes with all things new as they age, but some things age better than others. We just plain need more room, that’s all there is to it. Without going back to an SUV, I think the next choice will have to be a *gulp* wagon. A Subaru Forester Wagon. I know, I know, SO not Metal. In fact I was informed last night that owning one of these actually makes people think you are a lesbian. Now that’s interesting. That will be a new twist on things…a Metal Lesbian Mommy. Hey, whatever works. As long as I’m happy in my car I don’t care what you call me. So, if anyone out there is in the market for a tricked-out Scion xB, let me know…! The saga continues…

So I began my Friday with fuller lips. No, I didn’t get any injections or anything, ug. No Melanie Griffith lips for me, no-siree. But I bought this very cool make-up bag at Sephora yesterday and it had some fun samples in it (by the way I totally recommend this bag…it’s so fun and funky, with a detachable handle can also be used as a little purse, and most of the proceeds go to the VH1 Save the Music cause! Yeah! It’s totally rock and roll…!) one of which was this Big Fatty Lip Plumper. Now, not to brag or anything, but I think my lips are just fine the way they are. They aren’t big, they aren’t small, they are just proportional to my face. I never really gave them much thought, to tell you the truth. All I know is that when Meg Ryan decided she needed full lips, that was a bad choice. So I was skeptical about this stuff. But you know, a freebie is a freebie and it’s always fun to try new things, so I thought, what the hey? So try I did. I was a little nervous because in reading reviews about the product it told you it could sting and to be very careful to to go outside of the lip or that area will also become red and puffy. nice. But I soldiered on. You know, not a big deal. It turned my lips a nice pink color and I felt a slight tingle, but overall it wasn’t much of a change. Thank God, no Melanie. So probably not something I’d buy, but fun to try anyway.

So my lips and I went to meet Steph to resume our Friday morning coffee at our usual place. Yeah! With the holidays and the kids home from school, we hadn’t been in a while. I was missing it big-time! As always the time flew and we laughed and laughed. A particularly funny thing was Stephanie telling me that she had an epiphany in bed last night as she was agitated and having trouble dozing off–she basically realized she was indeed a bitch and upon this realization was able to settle down into a deep comfy sleep with a smile on her face. OMG I laughed so hard at that, that’s so great! That mental picture will plant a smile on my face for this entire butt-cold dreary winter’s day. What a great way to start a weekend! And so inspirational…Embrace Your Inner Bitch!!!

Once again, idiot 40-year-old me forgets my camera at the most inopportune moment. Vivian had her commercial photo shoot yesterday and I would have loved to capture the fun on my own film (or, memory card!!) but alas, I left it at home. Bah! Of course I couldn’t reveal to you any hints about what this is for since it’s all still so secretive at this point….but the behind-the -scenes shots wouldn’t have given anything away. I did get this photo of Viv when we got home, basically this is exactly what she looked like in the photos….just my Vivian! No make-up, just lookin’ like the 10 year old girl that she is. That’s a good thing.

I have to say, being there yesterday was just a blast. Everyone working on this project is so nice and fun to be around. Being involved in that sort of production is totally something I could see myself doing, I just felt like I was in my element there. With a smidgen of film experience, band/theater experience and just overall creative energy I wonder if it’s something I could get myself into?? It’s definitely a thought….and thinking I continue to do, as I try to come up with what I will do when I grow up. Being an at-home Metal Mommy has been the best job in the world I could ever do and I wouldn’t have it any other way whilst the kids are young…but the quest for the perfect Me Job is always in the back of my mind, for when Sullivan hits school full-time next year. Of course I want the dream job that all stay-at-home Mommies want when they return to the work force…something fun, (and for me, creative!) challenging, feeling like you’re making a difference, and done by 4:00 when the kids get home from school. sigh. It’s a tall order.

Woo hoo! We are totally re-doing our living room and let me tell you, it is becoming one swank space if I do say so myself. (and I do.) We’ve decided it’s time for a change with our furniture…and of course new furniture will eventually mean new paint. I grumble at this, not only because I HATE painting, but because if you recall we painted the entire living room not so long ago. We’ll keep the brown wall, but the rest will be a sort of Wedgewood blue…eventually. Probably not until spring, when we can throw open the windows and let out the fumes. (it has been quite spring-like here lately, but one never knows when the temp will drop…and it recently did!) Just the removal of the old piano that was never played made us able to put our furniture where it hadn’t gone before–and it totally opened up the room. Right now I hate the fact that everything is white, off-white and brown, it definitely needs some color….but all in good time my dear, all in good time. I just had to put Ms. Coach on the couch, it seems like she belongs there.

So if you are feeling bored with your digs, just move things around and it can feel like a whole new place. You don’t even necessarily need new furniture…even before we got the new stuff just moving the stuff around that we had was a breath of fresh air. Maven Kim had some great ideas–and she is the expert in moving furniture!